What is normal? Normal is whatever falls within a certain range of acceptability, when compared to everything else. So what is normal for you and your store may not be the same normal in another store. That being said, when it comes to shoplifters compared to customers there actually is a normal range to compare each one too.
Understanding how normal customers act when they go shopping is particularly important to understand and to recognize. By doing so, you are able to more quickly and accurately identify a person who is shoplifting. If you do not have a solid concept of normal shopping activity, you and your employees will likely waste significant amounts of time (labor dollars) watching and following honest shoppers. Even a customer who is only browsing with no intention to buy will fall into the normal customer category of behaviors, instead of into shoplifter behaviors.
Loss prevention seminars are a highly efficient tool and resource to help you and your employees understand customer and shoplifter behavior. A seminar will help to break down what normal activity looks like, and what abnormal would be. The seminar will also help to evaluate when some of these behaviors cross over and how to further assess a situation.
For example, a shoplifter will typically try to avoid any and all interaction with other customers and employees. That is one of the main reasons why customer service is the best defense against shoplifting. That doesn’t mean that all people who avoid employee interaction are going to be shoplifters. Many customers who are window shopping will avoid employees because they know they are not in the store to spend any money. 
That doesn’t mean that they won’t come back at a later time to make a purchase, they are just not willing to do so now. Other paying customers will also avoid employee interaction because they do not want to be hovered over, or feel pressured into buying something. They simply want the autonomy to shop alone. So avoiding employee interaction is a behavior that is normal for both a customer and a shoplifter.
Confused yet? Well recognizing a shoplifter starts by taking one action that might be indicative of a shoplifter and then adding on several more actions. Eventually you will see a pattern emerge by the person that is either more conducive to being a customer or being a shoplifter. The more characteristics of both that you understand and can evaluate, the better your analysis of a situation will be. 
It is very out of the norm for a paying customer to hide merchandise in their bag when faced with the availability of shopping carts, or store provided shopping bags. An employee can also offer to hold merchandise at the front counter for a customer and the customer will show gratitude in their face and body language. A shoplifter who has been caught putting merchandise into their bag or purse will not show the same body language. They will be more likely to also state that they changed their mind and no longer want the item.
For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia
Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

What is normal? Normal is whatever falls within a certain range of acceptability, when compared to everything else. So what is normal for you and your store may not be the same normal in another store. That being said, when it comes to shoplifters compared to customers there actually is a normal range to compare each one too.

Understanding how normal customers act when they go shopping is particularly important to understand and to recognize. By doing so, you are able to more quickly and accurately identify a person who is shoplifting. If you do not have a solid concept of normal shopping activity, you and your employees will likely waste significant amounts of time (labor dollars) watching and following honest shoppers. Even a customer who is only browsing with no intention to buy will fall into the normal customer category of behaviors, instead of into shoplifter behaviors.

Loss prevention seminars are a highly efficient tool and resource to help you and your employees understand customer and shoplifter behavior. A seminar will help to break down what normal activity looks like, and what abnormal would be. The seminar will also help to evaluate when some of these behaviors cross over and how to further assess a situation.

For example, a shoplifter will typically try to avoid any and all interaction with other customers and employees. That is one of the main reasons why customer service is the best defense against shoplifting. That doesn’t mean that all people who avoid employee interaction are going to be shoplifters. Many customers who are window shopping will avoid employees because they know they are not in the store to spend any money. 

That doesn’t mean that they won’t come back at a later time to make a purchase, they are just not willing to do so now. Other paying customers will also avoid employee interaction because they do not want to be hovered over, or feel pressured into buying something. They simply want the autonomy to shop alone. So avoiding employee interaction is a behavior that is normal for both a customer and a shoplifter.

Confused yet? Well recognizing a shoplifter starts by taking one action that might be indicative of a shoplifter and then adding on several more actions. Eventually you will see a pattern emerge by the person that is either more conducive to being a customer or being a shoplifter. The more characteristics of both that you understand and can evaluate, the better your analysis of a situation will be.

It is very out of the norm for a paying customer to hide merchandise in their bag when faced with the availability of shopping carts, or store provided shopping bags. An employee can also offer to hold merchandise at the front counter for a customer and the customer will show gratitude in their face and body language. A shoplifter who has been caught putting merchandise into their bag or purse will not show the same body language. They will be more likely to also state that they changed their mind and no longer want the item.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.